Birds in the Algarve

Many keen birders visit the Algarve region of Portugal because it is on a major migration route, but even away from the Sagres area (a hotspot for observing passage migrants) there are many other good sites for bird watching and plenty of resident seabirds, garden birds and countryside birds (including birds of prey) to make a visit worthwhile.

Black-shouldered Kite

Bluethroat

Common Waxbill

Curlew Sandpiper

Eurasian Wryneck

Little Bustard

Southern Grey Shrike

Spectacled Warbler

For more details of the best birding sites, see our Nature Reserves/Parks and Wildlife Walkssection; however, it's worth mentioning here that the saltpans at Parque Natural de Rio Formosa, the cork oak forests in the serra (hills), and the coastal cliffs (where many seabirds nest) are well worth visiting. In towns look out for White Stork nesting on chimneys; on golf courses keep an eye open for the lovely Hoopoe; and in farmland where almond trees grow there's a very good chance of seeing Bee-eaters, which often rest on telephone wires and high fences; this makes them easy to spot but tricky to photograph against a bright sky.

The table below, sorted alphabetically by scientific names, lists a small selection of the birds reported from the Algarve. Some are common; others infrequent and a few rarely seen. For excellent pictures and detailed information of when and where these birds are most likely to be seen, it's well worth getting a copy of Algarve Wildlife, the natural year, a beautifully illustrated book by Clive Viney and Ray Tipper, two expert birders who live in the Algarve and have been studying bird life there for many years.